Dexamethasone causes less steroid-induced alkalemia than methylprednisolone or hydrocortisone

Corticosteroid-induced metabolic alkalemia is an important ICU problem because many of these patients may compensate by alveolar hypoventilation. The effects of 3 commonly used steroids on arterial pH, PaCO2, and serum bicarbonate concentrations were studied in 24 healthy male baboons randomly divid...

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Published inCritical care medicine Vol. 12; no. 4; p. 384
Main Authors Chernow, B, Vernoski, B K, Zaloga, G P, Cook, D, D'Angona, Jr, D, Van Ness, M, Casey, L C, Fletcher, J R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.04.1984
Subjects
Acid-Base Imbalance - chemically induced
Alkalosis - chemically induced
Animals
Dexamethasone - toxicity
Hydrocortisone - toxicity
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Male
Methylprednisolone - toxicity
Papio
Random Allocation
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Summary:Corticosteroid-induced metabolic alkalemia is an important ICU problem because many of these patients may compensate by alveolar hypoventilation. The effects of 3 commonly used steroids on arterial pH, PaCO2, and serum bicarbonate concentrations were studied in 24 healthy male baboons randomly divided into 3 groups. Each group of 8 animals received 7-day dose-equivalent courses of either hydrocortisone (300 mg daily), methylprednisolone (60 mg daily), or dexamethasone (15 mg daily). Treatment with either hydrocortisone or methylprednisolone increased arterial pH (p less than .05) and serum bicarbonate levels (p less than .01) and the animals receiving hydrocortisone showed significant (p less than .05) compensatory alveolar hypoventilation. Dexamethasone therapy did not cause any of these steroid-induced changes.
ISSN:0090-3493
DOI:10.1097/00003246-198404000-00009